Changing Apple ID

My Apple ID is my Hotmail account. It is also my Home Folder name (didn't mean to do that, but that's how I set it up when I got the MacBook, and I know you can't really change that). So...suddenly I cannot access Hotmail via Safari OR Apple Mail, and I have been able to do that for months - now it won't log in at all (but works fine on IE, which is on my desktop).

If I change toa gmail account, and have that be my new Apple ID - does that affect my Home Folder, or anything that requires my authorization on this computer?

Hopefully this question makes sense. Happy New Year all, and thanks for any help you can give me.

Apple ID? Are you referring to the ID you're using when you sign on to your MacBook? Your sign on ID can always be changed but I'm not sure I understand what that has to do with you not being able to use hotmail? If you're having a problem signing on to Hotmail from Safari, you need to contact the "Windows Live" support folks.

(I just tried signing on to my Hotmail account from Safari and it works fine.)

Hotmail does not work from Apple Mail but should work for web access from Safari. If you're looking for an on line mail account to use with Apple Mail, I suggest going with Google Mail (GMail) as it works well both ways.

Yes, the ID I use to sign onto the MacBook is actually my hotmail account. Before I got the MacBook, that hotmail account was what I used to set up iTunes. During the setup process, it said to just use my iTunes account as my Apple ID, so I did. Before I caught it, that email account also became the name of my Home Folder, and I have read you really should not change this.

So, until 2 days ago, I have been able to use Apple Mail to access Hotmail, not suddenly I cannot. For that reason, I was thinking of getting a GMail account and using that as my Apple ID. I guess my question is, will doing that effect how I log onto the MacBook, or will it effect the Home Folder in any way. This may be a silly question - just a bit confused at the moment. Thanks.

O.K - I figured it all out....there was a glitch, I had to re-enter my hotmail password. I was using the wrong one the whole time. Now it all workfs fine, even in Apple Mail. No need to change anything here (good, because I have had that hotmail account since hotmail first came out).